Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #13

[Deleted member 83851]

Is he a hardened criminal romance scammer, or a dithery sick old man? He is all of the above.

 

[BonnieB]

The book of the visions of Zabdeel, the son of Abdeel : Faithfully translated from the original Syriac by an eminent traveller, who purchas'd the manuscript at Grand-Cairo

 

[Deleted member 83851]

Oh, I also remember Marion did go to some church activities. She wasn't religious but her teachers assistant was, and organised community events. One of those events was that dance Marion was filmed at.

So that is another possibility of how he might've met Marion.

Ahh yes! The dance in Byron Bay wasn’t it?

Edited to amend that the dance took place in Lake Moogerah, Queensland.

 

[KiwiNZ]

Poor Sally....just imagine how our heads hurt listening to his BS x 1000 for Sally. Please find a way to find Marion and give her family some peace . This piece of RB should be buried and never heard of again. It is almost like he is enjoying the attention. I really want Marion to be the main focus and not this lowlife excuse for a human.

I do feel like they are taking the approach that if he dies before he can be held accountable, or for any reason he slips through the net of the law that they are taking every opportunity to hit him where it hurts on behalf of Sally, they are making sure there is no doubt this guy is responsible and is a lying dog. AC loved every second of reading that letter line by line ... humiliation was the aim and I am sure achieved.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

He's a very zilly man.

 

[hoodunnit]

Maybe I indulge in too much true crime literature. I really dont want to be dark, but I have to admit alarm bells were ringing for me when RB was talking about the tea chests in the garage and the fact that among other things stored in there, was a freezer .

 

[mishy66]

Ahh yes! The dance in Byron Bay wasn’t it?

""Mandy Jennings was a teacher's aide who worked with Barter at The Southport School.....

“….Jennings filmed Barter at a community dance in Queensland in 1995.

"We used to get together socially and our particular church had a weekend away at Lake Moogerah," Jennings said.

"I invited her to come, probably because I thought maybe she was ... a bit lonely at the time and I was organising the dance and I thought she would have a really good time."
The Lady Vanishes: Marion Barter's final dance caught on camera


United Church of God.

CAMP MOOGERAH

United Church of God is a breakaway group from the Worldwide Church of God.

 

[Deleted member 249471]

He is 82, allegedly, depending on his true identity. I feel he's going to spend the rest of his years in court for one thing or another. His rap sheet is pretty long at this point.

 

[sunnybree]

I know I’m a pessimist but I don’t think they have enough to charge him. I think they definitely have evidence that he is a liar, he has coerced and stolen from women, and he knew and had a significant relationship with Marion. I think he murdered Marion but I think the announcement about increasing the reward means they are still searching for a definitive witness leading to definitive evidence that he is guilty not of being a liar and a conman, but evidence that he is a murderer. I also think there are a lot of other victims out there. I think this investigation still has a bit to go yet, but I feel that one thing that has been achieved is plainly revealing that Marion was the victim of a scam. If she left her family “willingly” it was due to manipulate and coercion, with a man who misrepresented his identity. I think it can be acknowledged now by all that she is not living a blissful “new life” somewhere. That at least gives real direction to an ongoing homicide investigation.

 

[KeenSleuth17]

I understood the names to be Zabdiel Zilling. I have done a search and established Zabdiel to have originated as a Hebrew name, also biblical origin and meaning “gift”.
A Google search found Zilling to be: “a commune in the Moselle department in Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine in north-eastern France”.

Edited to add that in France it seems “communes” are like councils rather than cult centres!

 

[KeenSleuth17]

I know I’m a pessimist but I don’t think they have enough to charge him. I think they definitely have evidence that he is a liar, he has coerced and stolen from women, and he knew and had a significant relationship with Marion. I think he murdered Marion but I think the announcement about increasing the reward means they are still searching for a definitive witness leading to definitive evidence that he is guilty not of being a liar and a conman, but evidence that he is a murderer. I also think there are a lot of other victims out there. I think this investigation still has a bit to go yet, but I feel that one thing that has been achieved is plainly revealing that Marion was the victim of a scam. If she left her family “willingly” it was due to manipulate and coercion, with a man who misrepresented his identity. I think it can be acknowledged now by all that she is not living a blissful “new life” somewhere. That at least gives real direction to an ongoing homicide investigation.

Look, I don’t have a legal background (well not criminal law anyway) but I would have thought that they were on the way to a good circumstantial case, no? I think the nail on the coffin could be some good testimony from his kids. So I’m hoping they might take the stand tomorrow??? And I can’t imagine they’d be very thrilled with their father so I was hopeful they might spill their guts… but maybe that’s a fantasy too…!!!!

 

[BonnieB]

I don't know about anyone else, but I derived a great deal of satisfaction as I watched him squirm during his very public humiliation. As his sordid love letter was read aloud line by line, it was a small taste of what he has done to so many victims.

 

[LouLouSleuth]

I know I’m a pessimist but I don’t think they have enough to charge him. I think they definitely have evidence that he is a liar, he has coerced and stolen from women, and he knew and had a significant relationship with Marion. I think he murdered Marion but I think the announcement about increasing the reward means they are still searching for a definitive witness leading to definitive evidence that he is guilty not of being a liar and a conman, but evidence that he is a murderer. I also think there are a lot of other victims out there. I think this investigation still has a bit to go yet, but I feel that one thing that has been achieved is plainly revealing that Marion was the victim of a scam. If she left her family “willingly” it was due to manipulate and coercion, with a man who misrepresented his identity. I think it can be acknowledged now by all that she is not living a blissful “new life” somewhere. That at least gives real direction to an ongoing homicide investigation.

And a big F.U. To those (including family) who told Sally that she should just let it go.

 

[mishy66]

Look, I don’t have a legal background (well not criminal law anyway) but I would have thought that they were on the way to a good circumstantial case, no? I think the nail on the coffin could be some good testimony from his kids. So I’m hoping they might take the stand tomorrow??? And I can’t imagine they’d be very thrilled with their father so I was hopeful they might spill their guts… but maybe that’s a fantasy too…!!!!

I think they have a whole lot more than they have let on. Keeping it for a trial hopefully

 

[mishy66]

I don't know about anyone else, but I derived a great deal of satisfaction as I watched him squirm during his very public humiliation. As his sordid love letter was read aloud line by line, it was a small taste of what he has done to so many victims.

And hopefully it will be enough for Dianne to finally tell everything she knows on her husband.

 

[KiwiNZ]

And hopefully it will be enough for Dianne to finally tell everything she knows on her husband.

surely there is only so much humiliation due to your husbands wandering willy an "innocent" person can take before they stop protecting him, unless they have something to hide themselves.

 

[gymtonic]

Can someone confirm (or not) ...in the list of aliases I have in notes I have the spelling as Zabdiel Zwilling (Zwilling being a known surname and German for twin). I now don't know where I got this from.
EDIT: it's OK I remembered it was from a search and have now passed it on as a tip.

 

[Penguinpoet]

About RB's early morning flight, I think it's likely RB spent the night at an airport hotel.

I suspect Casselden was fishing for answers on whether this might be the night Marion did not sleep at LL's house.

Remember when Marion told LL she was spending it at Sally's, but Sally called and they realised they had no idea where Marion was or where she slept that night.

This might be why RB insists he slept at home and travelled that very morning.

I think Casselden may be doing more than just fishing about a possible night in an airport hotel with Marion before his flight. Whenever Casselden says "are you quite sure about that Mr Bloooom" that makes me think he has evidence/knowledge that we aren't privy to and can't be released yet. IMO

 

[gymtonic]

I don't know about anyone else, but I derived a great deal of satisfaction as I watched him squirm during his very public humiliation. As his sordid love letter was read aloud line by line, it was a small taste of what he has done to so many victims.

Not only that but he lost control of his 'act' too, became miraculously more fluent and less shaky.

 

[KeenSleuth17]

And a big F.U. To those (including family) who told Sally that she should just let it go.

Yeah- I wonder how it feels to be in their shoes right now…!